Summer Nutrition in Hawaiʻi

Summer Nutrition in Hawaiʻi

After a long and busy school year, summer has finally arrived for students and families across Hawaiʻi. While summer brings opportunities for rest and recreation, it can also create challenges for families who rely on school meals to help meet their children’s nutritional needs. To help ensure that children continue to have access to healthy meals during the summer months, USDA programs such as the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), including Kaukau 4 Keiki, and the Seamless Summer Option (SSO), provide free meals at sites throughout the state. Through these programs, children and teens ages 18 and under can receive breakfast and lunch at no cost at locations across the state. Meals are also available to individuals over age 18 with disabilities who are enrolled in school programs for students with mental or physical disabilities. Several non-profit organizations play a key role in sponsoring and supporting Summer Food Service Program meal sites across the state, including Hawaiʻi Foodbank, Mālama Kauaʻi, Sustainable Molokaʻi, Alternative Structures International (ASI), and Vibrant Hawaiʻi.

Volunteers at ASI site

Source: HCNP

Last summer, Kaukau 4 Keiki distributed 1,136,150 meals across the state.

Kaukau 4 Keiki

Last summer, Kaukau 4 Keiki distributed 1,136,150 meals across the state. The program provides nutritious meals to children throughout Hawaiʻi by offering summer meal kits to families and communities. Each Kaukau 4 Keiki kit provides 7 breakfasts and 7 lunches. Kits are distributed weekly through a network of local sponsors and distribution sites. The kit contains fresh produce, whole wheat bread, rice, shelf stable milk, canned meat, vegetables, beans, and more. A kid friendly planned 7-day menu for breakfast and lunch with easy-to-prepare instructions are included in the box. Volunteers at ASI site Source: HCNP All menus must meet USDA meal pattern requirements and must also adhere to food safety standards. (Source: KauKau 4 Keiki)

Mālama Kauaʻi

Mālama Kauaʻi has been operating Kaukau 4 Keiki in various forms since 2020 to help address the hunger gap for keiki during school breaks on Kauaʻi. Each box includes locally sourced produce from island farmers, helping children in the community stay healthy while also supporting Kauaʻi’s local food producers. Nonprofit partners working with Mālama Kauaʻi help expand access to the Kaukau 4 Keiki program across the island by hosting distribution sites, which are essential for improving accessibility for families who face transportation barriers. (Source: Kauai Now)

Hawaii Foodbank

Hawaii Foodbank

Source: HCNP

This summer, Hawaiʻi Foodbank will provide meal boxes filled with groceries designed to prepare seven days of breakfast and lunch for one child. These nutritious boxes include shelf-stable fruits and vegetables, proteins, grains, shelf-stable milk, fresh produce, bread, and more. Meal boxes will be distributed at 10 Kaukau 4 Keiki food distribution sites across the state this summer. (Source: Hawaiʻi Foodbank)

Finding Summer Meals

To find a meal site near you, contact local organizations in your community that offer youth activity programs. These organizations often include schools, community centers, recreation centers, and faith-based groups. USDA also maintains a regularly updated online tool called the Summer Meals for Kids Site Finder. This interactive map allows you to enter an address, city, state, or ZIP code to locate up to 50 nearby meal sites, along with their addresses, hours of operation, and contact information. You may also call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY for assistance in finding meal sites. (Source: USDA)

Volunteers at ASI site

Source: HCNP